Posts by stormybadger8

Cut the PR nonsense and stop trying to draw conclusions from it. 🤦

Even if we pretend they only had three competitive cars all season—which is a joke of an argument given how the second half of the year actually went...
Both Ricci and Max were absolute garbage even with that insane power deficit. Ricci was just mediocre, and Max was basically a walking disaster when it came to consistency...

Sure, a random flash of brilliance is fine, like Max’s run in Austin, but when you're fighting for a championship, both drivers need to be capable of at least grabbing some decent points relative to their car's pace. In the 2016 season, neither Ricci nor Max could manage that. You might give Max a pass for being a rookie last year, but there's zero excuse for Ricci. 🤦

What makes it worse is that there wasn't even a clear driver hierarchy. It’s a massive embarrassment for Ricci because, despite Max's DNFs and erratic results, he still couldn't consistently finish ahead of him. That means if they were actually fighting a title against someone like Mercedes, they'd just be handing out points left and right...
When you factor in the total lack of consistency, a title isn't even on the table. Even if Red Bull finally decided to pick a clear No. 1, it wouldn't matter because neither of them can put together a steady run of results...

neonfox65 said:

—and honestly, even just looking at the car itself, it was way better...

Some people argue that the Mercedes was the best because of that active suspension. But I don't care if the Red Bull chassis was superior—it didn't matter since they didn't have an engine that could actually keep up. Basically, Mercedes had the better package by a mile... there's no point trying to split the chassis and the engine into two separate things.

ultimately, any two drivers sitting in that thing would've looked like a dream lineup—like if you put Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo together, or Max Verstappen and Ricciardo in another seat...

🤦 Good grief, I can't believe what I'm reading. If that were true, why wouldn't they just call those top-tier guys to drive instead of who's currently in the Red Bull seats?🤦 What are you even talking about? It's unbelievable. Ricciardo built his reputation back in 2014 when he absolutely crushed a four-time champ in his own team, and Max is a literal prodigy...

while the others struggle to show anything because their car is so weak, any threat to the Mercedes is automatically treated like world-class driving—even though it's not impossible that the Red Bull was actually better than the Mercedes on certain tracks...

Which tracks? Where was the Red Bull actually better than the Mercedes? Ricciardo only pulled off a pole in Monaco. In Spain and Malaysia, they won just because the Mercedes cars dropped out. Seriously, saying stuff like that is just wild...

Even if they were in a dominant car, would any of them have actually become a champion?

Okay, now you're just sugarcoating things. How can you even write such nonsense without feeling bad about it?

And look, I’m not even a fan of Alonso, but in that junk McLaren, he looked way better than Max and Ricciardo combined... honestly, it was surprising he even had the grit to sit in that car, let alone drive it the way he did...

Well, Alonso himself said he considers Ricciardo the best driver in F1. Does that mean nothing to you?

Clearly, they aren't "marketable" enough. They just don't pull in the crowds like Max and Ricci do...
And honestly, who cares? It’s not like Max and Ricci cost them any more than Sainz and Kvyat would have...

neonfox65 said:

—and honestly, even just looking at the car itself, it was way better...

Some people argue that the Mercedes was the best because of that active suspension. But I don't care if the Red Bull chassis was superior—it didn't matter since they didn't have an engine that could actually keep up. Basically, Mercedes had the better package by a mile... there's no point trying to split the chassis and the engine into two separate things.

ultimately, any two drivers sitting in that thing would've looked like a dream lineup—like if you put Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo together, or Max Verstappen and Ricciardo in another seat...

🤦 Good grief, I can't believe what I'm reading. If that were true, why wouldn't they just call those top-tier guys to drive instead of who's currently in the Red Bull seats?🤦 What are you even talking about? It's unbelievable. Ricciardo built his reputation back in 2014 when he absolutely crushed a four-time champ in his own team, and Max is a literal prodigy...

while the others struggle to show anything because their car is so weak, any threat to the Mercedes is automatically treated like world-class driving—even though it's not impossible that the Red Bull was actually better than the Mercedes on certain tracks...

Which tracks? Where was the Red Bull actually better than the Mercedes? Ricciardo only pulled off a pole in Monaco. In Spain and Malaysia, they won just because the Mercedes cars dropped out. Seriously, saying stuff like that is just wild...

Even if they were in a dominant car, would any of them have actually become a champion?

Okay, now you're just sugarcoating things. How can you even write such nonsense without feeling bad about it?

And look, I’m not even a fan of Alonso, but in that junk McLaren, he looked way better than Max and Ricciardo combined... honestly, it was surprising he even had the grit to sit in that car, let alone drive it the way he did...

Well, Alonso himself said he considers Ricciardo the best driver in F1. Does that mean nothing to you?

What part of this is nonsense?
Max was so wildly inconsistent last season he wouldn't have even won a title at Watkins Glen; Rosberg or Hamilton would've snatched it from him in an RB before he could blink 😳
And Ricci wasn't exactly crushing it either...

Do yourself a favor and actually look at the race results. We can talk trash all day, but by the end of the season, RB was sitting at 3rd or 4th in terms of raw pace, and they were never lower than 5th or 6th. Anything worse than that is a straight-up failure...

Ricci had four races where he finished way worse than 6th, and eight where he was way behind 4th...
Max had five times where he was worse than 6th plus three DNFs, plus another eight times where he was worse than 4th plus those three DNFs...
And I'm not even talking about random bad luck; the only races where both guys fell out of the top six were the European GP and Monza. After Monza, neither of them cracked the top four once...
So, maybe those two races were car issues, but the rest? That's definitely driver error...

Look, you don't win championships if you can't even bring the car home in decent shape for eight races out of the season. It's basic math.
Think about it—would Rosberg even be in the title conversation if he'd finished 3rd or worse eight times in a season? And imagine being Max, finishing 3rd or worse eight times *and* dealing with three DNFs. No shot. 🤦
"Best driver lineup" my ass. 🙂
Sure, they're flashy, they're young, they're the "next big things," and they probably have the biggest fanbases. Fine.
But realistically? With results like those, they're nowhere near the championship fight against actual top-tier drivers in equal cars, just like back in 2016.

neonfox65 said:I've heard from plenty of other sources that Red Bull has the best lineup too, so I don't see why you're so bothered by it👋

And it's not just coming from Rick—the whole Red Bull crew is hinting at it, from Max to Horner and Newey. They're all talking big, yet somehow you're the only one staying quiet.

Now our resident forum visionary is going to tell us exactly who’ll be fighting Hamilton—it’ll be nothing but the Ferrari duo, with Max occasionally jumping in, and that’s it.

🤣

Hey, just so you know, I'm keeping a file on everything you say😂

Obviously, that carries massive weight because you'd expect Max, Ricci, Horner, or Newey to actually admit that Red Bull's lineup is weaker than...🙂🤣
Good luck finding any reason for someone at Red Bull to say something like that. Anything else would be incredibly weird, 🤦

northerncobra31 said:I'm not really a Red Bull fan, and I think Ricciardo gets too much credit, but you can't deny that he and Max are currently the best driver duo on the grid.

Back in 2016, RB was basically the undisputed second-best car, and that was purely thanks to Renault. On its own merit? Damn, that car was leagues ahead of everyone else.
The way that RB carved through corners and stayed planted was unreal compared to the rest of the field...
At the end of the day, you could have put any two drivers in that seat and they’d look like a championship lineup. Like, if Sainz and Kvyat were in the RB, and Ricciardo and Max were in the STR...
People just assume anyone driving a Mercedes is automatically elite because Mercedes is so dominant. It’s like people think every result is just a byproduct of the car, rather than the skill.
Meanwhile, everyone else struggles to show anything because their cars are garbage. But the moment someone even looks like they might challenge Mercedes, people start calling it "god-tier driving," even though it wasn't even impossible that the RB was actually faster than the Mercedes on certain tracks...

For me, that Ricciardo and Max combo wasn't any more impressive than the lineup at Manor or even Pascal and Ocon. Honestly, scoring points in a Manor looked harder than winning in an RB. Getting a Manor into Q2 felt like a bigger achievement than seeing an RB take pole...
Sure, Ricciardo and Max flashed some brilliance here and there and had some decent results, but consistency? Zero. Zilch.
If they actually had a dominant car, would either of them even be a champion? Hell, they both only had maybe 50% of those "great" races all season. Look at the stats: one on a podium, the other barely scraping 6th or 7th, sometimes even outside the top 10. It’s not the car, guys.

And look, I can't stand Alonso, but in that absolute wreck of a McLaren, he looked better than Max and Ricciardo combined. Seriously, it was almost shocking he even had the guts to sit in that thing, let alone drive it the way he did...

Basically, Force India is getting way more bang for their buck on the grid, while Red Bull is burning through cash like crazy when you look at RB and STR together...

Red Bull is sitting at 320 million pounds total 😲
At this rate, it looks like STR is one hell of an expensive toy...

mellowtiger83 said:Ricciardo is being remarkably bold with his chatter. I didn't expect such aimless blather from him; he’s heard the rumors, he knows the landscape, and yet here we are. As for his comments regarding the optimal driver lineup, I shall refrain from commenting entirely. There is an old saying for situations just like this: "the higher they fly, the harder they fall."

Now, I suppose our resident forum visionary will step up to declare exactly who will be going toe-to-toe with Hamilton. It will be nothing more than the Ferrari duo, perhaps with Max occasionally inserting himself into the fray, and that will be that.

What's there even to say...
Look at Red Bull's driver lineup. Combined, they've got 25 podiums, 5 wins, 9 Fl's, and even a P1...
In what alternate universe could any other team pull together a better duo? Their stats are so insane, nobody else is even in the same zip code.😍

The future looks bright for him, but behind him...

View on instagram



🤮🙂
Around 3 PM, and apparently those ridiculous noses actually make a comeback 😵

When's the deadline for filing that e-filing form?
Is it February 28th? 🤔

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/re...-unit-865513/?

It's interesting how many people are saying this partnership between General Motors and Infiniti is actually just a subtle way to distance themselves from Red Bull...
And I'm even more curious about this part where General Motors is gearing up to play games with NASA regarding electrical output. 😁

“There are an awful lot of collateral aspects to consider – like weight, packaging, cooling requirements, plus the intensity of the current that you can use in certain conditions, in particular climatic conditions.

“There are certain things that look like they are secondary, but in F1 nothing is secondary. Once you have reached the top, which is an MGU that can deliver 120KW, you still need to think about these extra elements if you want make your way and reach the top as a team.”

To me, it smells like a scheme to use a thinner wiring cross-section between the EV and the batteries during cooler races. Smaller cross-section means less weight, making the car lighter—and with these massive power levels, that weight difference can be huge. It’s not entirely impossible they could push it even below theoretical limits if their cooling is good enough to stop the wires from melting...
The only catch is the risk of the wiring catching fire. I've no idea if the FIA has specific regulations in place just for safety reasons or what. 🤔

But if they're already messing with these ideas, it means they think the EV setup is basically perfected and now it's time for some chemistry experiments...

neonfox65 said:Look, I’ll just come out and say it—I'm not trying to lie to anyone here... 👋

So, what exactly are you getting from that text, neonfox65?... 🙂

You won't really get what I'm saying until much later, Comedy Tibi... 😂

Does that text actually say Red Bull can't get Ricciardo back into the STR seat—and that he doesn't even have a say in any of this...?

Look, there’s really no point in arguing with you—time will tell anyway. Honestly, the worst-case scenario for Ricciardo is that he leaves Red Bull after a year and jumps to another squad... but it won't be AlphaTauri. I don't get why you can't see that a driver of his caliber has nothing left to prove at a mid-field team like that. Over these last few years, he's absolutely cemented himself as one of the elite drivers on the grid. He was basically the "best of the rest" in two of the last three seasons—he even outmaneuvered Vettel once and Max another time. Even Autosport named him the driver of the year, Alonso gave him massive props, and the guy is widely considered the king of overtakes...

So, if Ricc is actually such a hot commodity right now—and I mean *really* in demand—then he should’ve had a shot at joining Mercedes. That’s exactly the kind of move they’d be looking to make first... but he didn't go. They didn't even mention him, honestly—they were all about Max...
And I guess that’s basically why the Mercedes isn't winning races right now... 😍

From what I've read in the news, Ricciardo was in Munich, but Horner wouldn't budge.

the whole team cleaning house... though even that's debatable—none of the Red Bull drivers ever end up with another top-tier seat after they leave RB/STR, which tells you everything you need to know.

Vettel? Don't make me laugh.

that performance clause Vettel used—which really just means you have to accept the fact that the team basically tossed you aside in your final season just to manufacture a new superstar at your expense...

How many times do I have to tell you? Vettel ADMITTED himself he was outclassed by Ricciardo that year, and the team wasn't playing favorites. But clearly, you just can't handle the idea of someone actually beating stormybadger8.

Seriously, stop writing these novels—you're just typing endless nonsense and repeating yourself. Comedy Tibi.

Wow, look at you, actually reading things.🙂
From what I recall, Max had the most overtakes in 2016 and took the title for best overtaker... maybe you mixed up Max with Ricciardo?🤣

But wait, hold on—how can Horner just "not let" someone go?🙂
If he can block a move to Mercedes, he could just squeeze him out of Red Bull too and prevent him from joining any other team.🙂🤣

neonfox65 said:There is zero chance Ricciardo moves to Toro Rosso. If that English article didn't make it clear enough for you, then honestly... 🤦 You wanna bet on that?😁

As for Ferrari, I’m certain they’ll be the only ones actually challenging Mercedes. They're going to have a top-tier chassis because that genius finally has full control there—plus, having someone like Roy Byrne involved helps too. When you factor in those massive engine numbers, it's all pretty obvious. Sadly for you, it'll just be Hamilton vs. Vettel... Ricciardo will probably just be a side character.

Man, we already placed our bets on RB vs. Ferrari, no need to repeat yourself.😉

And seriously, stop using that tired "Comedy Tibi" line. We get it!

Tibi earned that nickname himself, though... he even said it.

When it comes to you, honestly, anyone trying to have a real conversation is just part of the joke. 😁

neonfox65 said:There is zero chance Ricciardo moves to Toro Rosso. If that English article didn't make it clear enough for you, then honestly... 🤦 You wanna bet on that?😁

As for Ferrari, I’m certain they’ll be the only ones actually challenging Mercedes. They're going to have a top-tier chassis because that genius finally has full control there—plus, having someone like Roy Byrne involved helps too. When you factor in those massive engine numbers, it's all pretty obvious. Sadly for you, it'll just be Hamilton vs. Vettel... Ricciardo will probably just be a side character.

Man, we already placed our bets on RB vs. Ferrari, no need to repeat yourself.😉

And seriously, stop using that tired "Comedy Tibi" line. We get it!

Tibi earned that nickname himself, though... he even said it.

What exactly are you getting from that text, neonfox65? 🙂
Does that text actually say Red Bull can't get Ricci back into the seat, or that Ricci doesn't even have a say in anything?

Go ahead and read that text again. Then tell me: is Ricci just rambling because he's trying to run a glorified commercial for himself and Red Bull, or is he actually just being a massive jerk? 😍
Just look at Ricciardo’s own quotes. He basically said he’d jump ship to Ferrari in a heartbeat if they actually had a winning car. But since they don't? He thinks his best shot is staying with Red Bull. That's why he isn't heading to Maranello.
Nobody even knows who actually called him for the Ferrari seat, aside from the media circus and the occasional mouthy pundit over at Red Bull. As far as I can tell, absolutely no one from the Ferrari camp has ever even breathed a word about wanting Ricciardo on the team. 😉

So, if Ricci is actually such a hot commodity, why didn't he land a seat at Mercedes? That should have been their top priority. Instead, they didn't even mention him—it was all about Max. Makes you wonder.
And that’s probably exactly why the Mercedes isn't a winning car right now. 😍

If you actually use your brain for a second, it becomes pretty obvious that what Ricciardo wants or doesn't want doesn't matter one bit.
The real question isn't whether he wants out—it's whether he even *can* leave the organization. Honestly, he’s probably stuck. He likely signed some soul-crushing contract years ago that basically makes him property. At this point, it feels like he signed a deal with the devil just to get the job. 😍

Look, the deal with Red Bull is pretty obvious. It’s basically the same playbook. They bankroll these drivers from the time they're kids, then force them into these long-term contracts. Most likely, there are clauses buried in there that make it impossible to leave unless you pay back every single cent they invested in you—money you obviously don't have.
There are basically two ways this plays out:

The whole "cleaning house" thing feels a bit sketchy. I mean, look at the track record—not a single driver from Red Bull has ever actually landed a seat elsewhere after leaving them. That tells you everything you need to know.
There’s probably some fine print in here about clawback clauses if they jump ship to another team. Otherwise, guys like Vergne and Buemi would be finding themselves a paycheck somewhere else right now.
Plus, none of their junior academy drivers have actually landed a seat anywhere else—unless you count jumping straight into a seat at Mercedes (or some other team where Red Bull basically pulled the strings for them).
Look, there’s been plenty of talent in the F1 pipeline lately, but it’s not like they didn't get a shot—they just never got a seat because Red Bull Racing was already full when their time came.
I honestly wonder why nobody else seems interested in these kids besides the junior team...

Then you have those performance clauses—like the one Vettel used. It basically means you have to accept being treated like garbage by your own team in your final season just so they can use your exit to launch some new superstar on your dime...
It’s actually wild. Not a single driver from their academy has managed to break out of the Red Bull system into another top team, even though they've pumped dozens through it.

So, at this point, Ricciardo’s only way out of the junior squad is to either quit F1 entirely or wait for Max to absolutely tear him apart until he's no longer useful to them after they've groomed his replacement...
Red Bull can do whatever they want with him. The real question is whether they want to tank their own investment the way they did with Kvyat...
But ultimately, it all comes down to how things play out with little Sainz. Someone's going to get the short end of the stick here—either Ricciardo or Sainz—and we all know Red Bull's motto: "younger is always better."

Hold up, the rumors online say Ricci has a contract signed and sealed 😁

Anyway, regarding Sainz, he was basically on the radar for Ford first, then later Mercedes...
And after all that noise, there’s been total radio silence from Sainz himself...
Except for that one comment right before the Mack situation about him leaving at the end of 2017 if he didn't land a seat at Red Bull,
Since nothing actually materialized between Sainz and Mercedes, it pretty much confirms Horner and Marko offered him that 2018 spot at Red Bull...

It's the same deal with young Gasly; he was promised an F1 seat, specifically with the junior team...
Which really only means one thing: someone’s getting the boot from Red Bull/the junior squad. It’s almost certainly Kvyat, though I can't be 100% sure. Because of Sainz, someone has to go, and they'll be out of Red Bull soon. It's just a matter of who...
Looking back at how much Ricci got the short end of the stick during the 2016 season, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he's the one being pushed out.
He's been with Red Bull forever without delivering real results. Sure, the car isn't great, but F1 is brutal—and Red Bull is even worse...

Linda Peterson43 said:Or perhaps they simply lack the budget for a new build, so they're just recycling the old one? 🙂

How exactly would they use the old stuff given the rule changes?

Force India passed all the crash tests

Isn't it a little early for this? 🤔
Damn, how is Force India the first one to clear the crash tests? That basically means their car is pretty much ready to go right now. 🤔

Do you even get what I'm saying here...
Rick signed with Red Bull, not RBR—he signed with Red Bull just like everyone else.
And Red Bull can easily park them in Toro Rosso without breaking any contracts, because they're still in F1 and they still have a seat in a Red Bull car.😉

The craziest part is that Toro Rosso is basically Red Bull, so there isn't even a difference in the team names.😁>

neonfox65 said:How would you even know what kind of contract Kvyat had? Rosberg left on his own terms...

And you're back at it again, typing out what you think Comedy Tibi would want—look, I already told you everything, I'm not going to keep repeating myself.

Bob, how could he have anything else? 🤦He had the same kind of deal every other Red Bull driver has regarding moving between teams—the only difference is the money and how long it lasts...
At any moment, Red Bull can move a driver from Toro Rosso to Red Bull or vice versa ☕
They could have done that with Vettel if they wanted, but they couldn't with Rick 🤦

Dammit, don't you get it? Their drivers have contracts with Red Bull, which owns two teams. That means they can slot them into either car whenever they feel like it...

Screw contracts...
Even Kvyat had a contract, so what? Rosberg had one too, so what?
One driver messes up for the team, the other messes up the team regardless of any contract...

Someone is definitely getting kicked out of Red Bull or Toro Rosso this season, for sure. The only question is who, and how much drama is going to go down because of it...
Max is obviously protected like a grizzly bear by both Red Bull and the FIA, so he’s safe as houses... everyone else is on thin ice.

After everything that went down during the 2016 season, it honestly looks like they're just setting Rick up to take the fall...

They’ll probably dump Rick just like they did Kvyat if Max starts bullying him right from the start of the season...
If he starts getting eaten alive by Max from day one through mid-season, they’ll toss him back to Toro Rosso just like they did with Kvyat last year...
Kick Kvyat out, put Sainz in Red Bull, and stick Gasly in Toro Rosso alongside Rick...

Damn, Rick has lost to his teammates way too many times. His only real career highlight was 2014, but honestly, people are already starting to forget that...
And you can't live on past glory in F1, especially when you aren't delivering any actual results lately...

Rick lost to Vergne, then later to Kvyat at Red Bull...
He’s even looked pretty bad compared to rookie Max lately. If Max starts consistently running him ragged—especially with this massive mess on the team radio—they might just decide to cut him loose...
It’s not because he’s a criminal or anything; it’s just because they want to keep both Max and Sainz. They simply don't have enough seats to go around.

I know that sounds crazy, but just look at where Buemi and Vergne ended up...

To my absolute disappointment, Kvyat is almost certainly finished. He’d practically need to perform a miracle to stay in Toro Rosso...

As for Sainz, by mid-season he’ll either have a Red Bull contract or he’ll be leaving Toro Rosso for Ferrari or Mercedes. Red Bull will have to figure something out to keep him, because there's no way they're going to sacrifice Max to do it.

neonfox65 said:Look, you're just writing comedy here—and without even trying to argue with me about how Red Bull would penalize Rick... 🤦 Seriously, Red Bull wants Rick driving for them for another two years, so what kind of penalty on earth are you talking about? 🤦 And even if a penalty actually happened, Rick would just tear up his contract and jump ship to another team immediately.

And just so we're clear, we weren't even arguing—you're the one who jumped in with that "Nancy is..." nonsense. You're hoping for the same thing (that Ferrari will take first place), but you basically tripped over your own feet, and now you're just digging an even deeper hole trying to backpedal. 👋

Red Bull wants Rick around as long as someone else doesn't catch their eye... and right now, someone else definitely catches my eye...
They passed on Sebastian Vettel, a four-time champion, yet they're holding onto Rick, who only has one pole and four career wins...

They'll dump him the very second he gets on their nerves or they decide they need to make room for Sainz / Gasly...
Both you and Rick will probably be crying about why he didn't just bail at the end of this season and move to Mercedes...

As for Ferrari, I'm not really expecting anything. I just wrote a stupid prediction because I love writing stupid predictions. 😁
But realistically, considering how they run things, if Ferrari stays in the top 3, it'll be a massive achievement...